The Philadelphia Eagles vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers will feature two 2-1 teams that had very different games last week. Last week, the Eagles beat the New Orleans Saints in a highly competitive game, slowing down the NFL’s number one offense. The Buccaneers lost to the Denver Broncos by almost three touchdowns. So, it’s a tale of two very different weeks for these franchises.
Philadelphia Eagles vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Matchup Preview
However, the Eagles should not look past the Buccaneers, as they already have a massive win over the Detroit Lions this season. Wide receivers Chris Godwin and Mike Evans will not be easy to contain. Darius Slay did have a bounce-back game before Trevor Penning blocked him out of bounds, and Quinyon Mitchell looked solid in his third game.
That matchup will be exciting and largely dictate how this game will go. Godwin will handle the slot for the Buccaneers; the question is, will it be Mitchell for the Eagles?
The rookie has played just one snap in the slot this season despite taking most of his camp reps there. It will be interesting to see Vic Fangio’s game plan after regaining the trust of this fan base. However, there is a more critical factor to this game.
Injury Report
Most fans, including myself, were originally unhappy about the Week 5 bye week. Now, the bye week couldn’t have come at a better time.
Wide receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith will not play in this matchup, while Lane Johnson, who is dealing with a concussion, will play. Dallas Goedert and Saquon Barkley filled the massive void on offense last week, and they will have to do it again.
With Brown and Smith out, now is the time for Jahan Dotson to show why Howie Roseman traded for him. We mentioned it here last week when the team was without Brown. This week, it appears likely that they will be without both receivers.
Dotson did not do much in the box score last week, but deserves significant credit for Goedert’s big play. On that play, he caused three Saints defenders to run into each other, allowing Goedert to get open for the large gain. Dotson will be the third option on Sunday, looking to prove he was worth the trade that brought him to Philadelphia.
Jahan Dotson was a huge part of the Goedert play
Watch how he basically takes out 3 defenders while avoiding a penalty
Gets Goedert all his space to run free: pic.twitter.com/uzMYtiKNY2
— Eliot Shorr-Parks (@EliotShorrParks) September 23, 2024
Lane Johnson will play on Sunday, but it wouldn’t be right not to mention Fred Johnson. Johnson came in for Lane after he left with an injury. He then proceeded to post PFF’s fifth-highest run-blocking grade for the week. In the past, when Lane went down, the offense tended to take a giant step back. Things were a lot different this time, and Fred stepped up big time and established himself as a reliable backup for the team.
The injury reports for the Eagles and Buccaneers game is not promising, as both teams will likely be without key players on Sunday. However, this is a next-man-up league, and players on both teams have proved that in the past weeks.
Game Outlook
This game will not be easy for either team. The temperature is projected to push triple digits in Tampa. On top of that, both teams will be dealing with injuries.
The Eagles are looking to avenge their playoff loss from last season. However, with Brown, Smith, and Britain Covey missing this contest, that will be pretty challenging. The defense will be at full strength, though, and they will have to help out the offense and stop a potent receiver duo.
Chris Godwin and Mike Evans will undoubtedly get their fair share of targets on Sunday. The Eagles secondary did a great job keeping Rashid Shaheed without a reception last week. They also kept Chris Olave in check outside of the first and last drives of the game.
The Buccaneers got the job done by relying on other targets in the playoff game last year. That likely won’t be the case this time around. The Eagles’ secondary will do a decent job against the pass catchers. However, the injuries on offense will be too much to overcome, and the Eagles will lose by a touchdown.
The two injuries at the receiver position will prove to be too much. Don’t get me wrong, the Eagles do have a decent chance of going into Tampa and winning. And a win would go a long way in the public perception of Jalen Hurts without his top two receivers. It will be a test for Hurts, but he still has enough around him to get the job done in a challenging environment.
The Buccaneers will likely come out looking like the team that beat the Lions in Week 2. The Lions did have their fair share of opportunities to win that game. What lost them that game was Jared Goff committing highly consequential turnovers and not converting red zone opportunities. This, combined with the injury report, is why I believe the Eagles will lose this contest.
Final Score: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 28, Philadelphia Eagles 24
